Ep 22 | The Future of Partnerships: A Conversation with Microsoft's Chief Partner Officer

On this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, we dive into the world of partnerships with Nicole Dezen, the Chief Partner Officer at Microsoft. In this insightful conversation, hosts Asher and Kelly sit down with Nicole to explore her extensive career in partnerships, the intricate partner organization structure at Microsoft, and her invaluable perspectives on crucial topics shaping the future of the partner ecosystem. Listen in, as Nicole and the hosts engage in a thought-provoking debate on various aspects of partnership management. This conversation provides a unique glimpse into one of the largest and most mature partner ecosystems, offering listeners actionable insights drawn from Nicole's wealth of industry experience. Chapters -  00:00 - Introduction 01:15 - Partner business at Microsoft 06:35 - Partner organization design and dotted line reporting. 12:01 - Partner ecosystems and multi-partner deals 17:47 - Partner ecosystem, data, and community engagement. 23:48 - Partner ecosystems and growth strategies in tech industry 31:02 - Partner collaboration and differentiation strategies. 36:23 - Partner leadership roles and priorities in business 42:34 - Partner management and future of role 46:59 - Partner management incentives and motivation. Key Takeaways Partnerships are critical for companies to achieve scale, reach, differentiation, and customer success in today's technology industry. It's important for partner leaders to tell the partner story internally to gain alignment and understanding of the unique role partners play.  Measuring and monitoring partner performance is key to ensuring alignment with company strategy and priorities. Partner managers should have a sales mindset and focus on developing partners to deliver differentiated solutions for customers. Building trust and community among partners is important, as is constantly evolving partnerships to address changing market needs. Key Quotes: "Collaboration requires understanding each other's corporate objectives and meeting in the middle, while also respecting each company's autonomy." - Asher Mathew "I think it's so important for all of us to be the voice of our partners for our companies. And we have a really important role to play, regardless of the company's maturity on the partner business or their stance on the partner business, like helping colleagues and leaders understand what a partner or partners could do for the achievement of growth, achievement of the company strategy, delivery of the company's mission." - Nicole Dezen